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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24025702">From Eden</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/lawfulgayheel/pseuds/lawfulgayheel'>lawfulgayheel</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Land of Gods &amp; Monsters [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>World Wrestling Entertainment</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Drabble Collection, LGBTQ Themes, M/M, POV Alternating</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-03 01:14:46</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,376</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24025702</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/lawfulgayheel/pseuds/lawfulgayheel</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Continuation of "Original Sin"</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aleister Black | Tommy End/Velveteen Dream</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Land of Gods &amp; Monsters [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1744219</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Consummate Love</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Quarantine really got them creative gears a-turning I guess. Every day I wake up afflicted by blackvelvet.<br/>Anyway! This is just a loosely assembled series of drabbles based in the "Original Sin" AU. Some of them are going to be sequel-ish and others are going to be bits of the first fic from alternate (see: Aleister) POVs.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There were men Aleister loved before Dream came into his life. There were men who loved him back. Falling and being in love weren’t new concepts to him. It wasn’t his first time, but mere moments after he realized how he felt about the prince, he suspected it would be his last.</p><p>He was never a widely liked person, nor did he concern himself with trying to be. Kassius was the only person he felt any connection to at the monastery. If the old Abbot ever truly cared about him, he didn’t show it in a way Aleister understood. His peers regarded him as “other,” and kept him at an arm’s length, as he did in return. As he made a name for himself as a magus, people came to respect him. They respected him for his power and what he put it to use for, but there was no affection in the high regard they had for him.</p><p>Dream was different. He liked Aleister, so <em>much. </em></p><p>Aleister didn’t expect that from most people, especially not the pompous, overbearing royal stalking him in the woods. For the first week or so, he truly grated on Aleister’s nerves. Aleister put up with it, bearing in mind that he was too dangerous to be unfettered. He was serious when he said he felt it was his responsibility to help those who were spurned by the gods. Besides all that, Dream wasn’t evil. Turning his back on the prince for being a little obnoxious would have been petty. He surmised Dream felt similarly about him. Then, gradually, things changed.</p><p>Personality clashes aside, Dream quickly proved his diligence and passion to Aleister. He had an endearing intensity; Aleister soon stopped holding his arrogance against him. He was haughty because he knew his worth.</p><p>The two grew a mutual respect for each other, and an odd friendship blossomed from it.</p><p>Aleister spent over half his life hating the sound of his own voice, speaking tersely and infrequently. Talking to Dream was easy, and even when he got that trickle of doubt that he was saying too much, all he had to do was look into Dream’s eyes and see the delighted glitter as he hung onto each word. After a while, they began glittering in a different way, and Aleister recognized that look. It wasn’t a look that one friend gave to another.</p><p>After the worst was over, in Aleister’s mind, there were road bumps aplenty ahead. He knew everything Dream saw in his soul. He knew there was a darkness in <em>Dream’s </em>soul that he hadn’t seen. There were complications in both their souls from the resurrection spell that they had yet to fully understand.</p><p>Aleister struggled to adapt to having someone who knew so much about him. There were pieces of his past, lost to time and to his brain’s desire to protect him, that Dream witnessed. He didn’t remember the incident Dream described with his father. He couldn’t even piece together what his father looked like. As for his mother, he remembered her voice. The feeling of her arms around him as she cried, leaving him at the temple, was pressed into his skin.</p><p>Dream promised nothing would change between them, and Aleister wanted to believe him. He wasn’t worried about Dream hating or looking down on him for any part of his past. Dream wasn’t that type of person. Deep down, Aleister always knew that. He just didn’t want the glitter in the prince’s eyes to disappear.</p><p>The spark didn’t go away, but things did change. Aleister admitted to himself, he was on high alert for changes and was zeroing in on and exaggerating what he was concerned about. It left a bad taste in his mouth whenever Dream went out of his way to compliment the broadness of his shoulders or the ruggedness of his beard, like he was trying too hard behind the casual smoothness he spoke with. Then he stepped back and realized Dream wasn’t trying to bolster any feelings of masculinity. He was saying all the same things about the curve of his nose and the contours of his hands; how even the harsh language of Infernal sounded like poetry from his lips. Enamored, Dream saw charm in all the little mundane details, and wasn’t shy about letting Aleister know. He wasn’t trying to combat any perceived insecurities, he just really, <em>really </em>liked Aleister.</p><p>Aleister could match that. Dream was obscenely talented and handsome, with unmatched charisma. It was almost too easy to see strengths and beauty in him. The declarations of devotion and adoration that Dream weaved seamlessly were harder. They were difficult to believe and impossible to counter. Aleister got a twisted up feeling when he heard them that he eventually recognized as intimidation. He understood passion and certainty, but not when it was directed at himself. No one ever loved him with the same ferocity Dream did.</p><p>He knew he returned the sentiment, and he thought Dream knew that, too. He wasn’t the type of man to communicate his love through words. He spoke it with actions, whether it was doting on him with gifts and remembering his little habits and tells, or holding him with carnal passion late into the night. He treasured Dream with his hands. Even the lightest brush articulated the deep, burning, consuming love he felt whenever he looked at him.</p><p>Different love languages notwithstanding, they were compatible, and they were happy together. It didn’t make communication difficult by any means, but it was impossible not to contrast the two at times.</p><p>“And you’ve never regretted it?” Dream was saying, fingers slowly circling around the brand on Aleister’s chest as they lounged in bed.</p><p>“I was a different person. It’s not a choice I would hold against a misguided child.” <em>And I got what I wanted.</em> Stilling Dream’s hand with his own, he asked, “And what of you? Would you change this?” He plucked Dream’s wrist, emphasizing his words as he revealed the mark.</p><p>Dream certainly had his regrets when Aleister first met him. He burned with anger, at himself, at his country, at the gods, and at his patron. Over a year passed since then. They spoke of the pact every now and then but never touched on Dream’s regrets.</p><p>Dream tugged away from Aleister’s loose grasp, admiring the brand, “Oh, this old thing?” He chuckled, “It <em>is </em>responsible for bringing you and me together. Would I change the mistake that led me to meet the love of my life?” He kissed it. “No. Never.”</p><p>“And the damnation that came with it?”</p><p>Winking, Dream replied, “Worth it.”</p><p>Lips twitching in a half-smile, Aleister commented, “It always amazes me how lightly you can say such heavy words.”</p><p>He didn’t intend any harm or offense by it. It was innocuous, almost complimentary. Dream looked displeased.</p><p>“Heavy, maybe,” he conceded. “Lightly? No. The Dream does not waste his breath saying what he does not mean.”</p><p>“I know,” Aleister tried to pacify the twinge of annoyance in Dream’s tone. “I didn’t mean it that way.” He curled his fingers around Dream’s, kissing the back of his hand, then clarified, “You have an impressive way with words.”</p><p>Dream stayed quiet.</p><p>“...Something wrong?”</p><p>He cleared his throat and shook his head. Then he sheepishly averted his eyes. Definitely lying.</p><p>“Dream.”</p><p>“No, it’s,” he muttered, clearly bothered. “It’s a little…”</p><p>“If you can call me the love of your life, worth damning your eternal soul for, surely you can tell me this.”</p><p>“Okay, okay,” he rolled his eyes, huffing. “I mean everything I’m saying. I do. And I’m not gonna say this is at all why I say any of these things to or about you, but,” he dragged the word out, obviously not wanting to finish the rambling sentence. “I,” his voice grew small, “keep kind of hoping you’ll say something back.”</p><p>Genuinely surprised, Aleister didn’t know how to respond. Dream took that the wrong way and started backpedaling.</p><p>“I know you love me. I’ve never doubted that.” He looked down at their coupled hands, fussing with Aleister’s fingers, “I don’t know if you even remember saying it, but when you were recovering, you told me, “a sunset should be jealous of your beauty.””</p><p>Aleister vaguely remembered thinking that, but not saying it out loud. The slow, emphatic way Dream repeated the words showed he thought about them a lot, and treasured them.</p><p>“It was sweet. And unexpected. In a lot of ways.” An uncharacteristically bashful smile teased at his lips. “I like being showered with <em>all </em>kinds of affection, it’s one of my very few weaknesses.” Another shake of his head. “You don’t need to take it to heart or anything, I know you--”</p><p>Aleister cut him off, kissing him long and hard. He pressed Dream against the pillows, not letting up until he felt Dream’s hands turn into fists around his vest, little choked noises echoing in his throat. He left the prince breathless when he pulled back. Perfect.</p><p>“Long ago, I vowed that I would yield to no one,” he began. “Not to the gods above or the devils below or the men in between. No amount of power or riches would make me bow my head in worship.” He tilted Dream’s chin up with a firm grip, “But you?” He breathed a laugh, kissing him again, “You make me want to get down on my hands and knees.”</p><p>He kissed away his lover’s shocked expression. A pair of well-muscled arms slowly eased around him. The uncomfortable tension in the air dissipated, replaced by the heat of intimacy. When Aleister broke away for air, Dream’s eyes were glittering again.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Clear-Sighted</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Takes place during chapter fourteen of what I cant stop shortening to "OG sin" because I'm a clown. This word doc is actually saved as "sin remix."</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>For someone who unexpectedly fell into Aleister’s lap one day, Ricochet turned out to be a steadfast companion and treasured friend. They traveled together for a long while after their first trek across the desert. Ricochet was the last person Aleister truly bonded with before holing himself up in the Wild for over a year. Aleister trusted him to the fullest extent that he could, all things considered.</p><p>In the back of his head, he knew Ricochet would turn up around the time of the Festival. It still came as a surprise to see him. They made fleeting promises of getting together properly, but were both rather preoccupied at the time. In their brief moments of catching up, Aleister cued him in on his current “project,” if only so he would know what it was that Aleister kept disappearing for. Not that Ricochet was the clingy type or would take being brushed off with anything more than a shrug. Still, Aleister didn’t want them to drift any further from each other. There was a shade of doubt in his mind that their relationship was as important to Ricochet as it was to him. The other man never gave him good reason to believe so, but it wasn’t an uncommon thing to nag at Aleister.</p><p>There was a time when their relationship most definitely meant more to Aleister, in a way he couldn’t let Ricochet know. When he told Dream he was taking a sabbatical on “humans,” what he really meant was a sabbatical on “everyone.” The introduction of complex feelings in what felt like his first real friendship in a very long time was a recipe for trouble. He tried to have faith that Ricochet would still be there, as a friend, after he shook the affliction off. It was that or radically accept that his life would continue with or without him. He was never strong on optimism.</p><p>As serendipity would have it, the two finally had time to spare when bumping into each other at the Alley. Within moments at the table, Aleister was relieved to discover their friendship was unmarred, and those feelings had dissipated. He doubted he was capable of having two sets of those weighty feelings at the same time anyway.</p><p>Mid-conversation and seemingly out of nowhere, Ricochet picked up on what exactly had Aleister so distracted.</p><p>“So things are going some kind of way with your…” Ricochet narrowed his eyes, gauging Aleister’s reaction as a he tried a few different labels, “Apprentice? Partner? Friend?”</p><p>Aleister grimaced at all of the descriptions, remarking, “As always, your aasimar eyes see too well, my friend.”</p><p>He didn’t split off from Ricochet out of mild paranoia. Ricochet would have seen through him in time.</p><p>“Nah, not this time,” he cracked a smile. “You’ve brought him up about three times now. And you’ve got <em>just </em>a little bit of a twinkle in your eye about it.”</p><p>Horrified, Aleister absently touched below the corner of his eye, “It’s that obvious?”</p><p>“To me, yeah. You’ve got it bad, man. It’s pretty weird, honestly,” he said in good-nature. “…You wanna talk about it?”</p><p>The answer was yes, if he was subconsciously bringing it up as often as Ricochet claimed. That was an embarrassing realization once he processed it. He wasn’t the talkative type as a general rule. If he got on a subject he was passionate about, that was different. He could talk about religion or arcana for hours, given the proper platform and companion. He had never been so passionate about another person that he actively wanted to talk about them in-depth. He was smitten and it was a wonder that Dream didn’t know yet.</p><p>“It’s complicated.” A shy smile spread on his face in spite of himself. “But he’s…incredible. I’ve never known a human to have so much determination and desire.”</p><p>He bit his tongue. He wasn’t just attracted to who Dream was as a person, but to the way he felt when he was around him. When the prince spoke of striving to carve out his own destiny, not willing to settle with what the world begrudgingly gave him, it sparked in Aleister’s heart. Aleister suspected from the beginning that the prince’s motives were not as charitable as he made them out to be, but there was always a slim chance he was telling the truth. If someone like that were to rely on him, he would have to make himself out to be a paragon. He couldn’t show a hint of the evil that lived in his heart. He couldn’t have any weaknesses or faults. He had to be perfect, untouchable, the kind of person who could be trusted to mentor the revolutionary mind of the prince.</p><p>Then he found out Dream’s real motivation. Hearing his origins in selfishness and pride made him feel a surprising way. He felt relieved. He could let his guard down. Suddenly he was at ease around Dream.</p><p>Understanding why he felt at ease, what the true feelings he held for the other man were, tensed him right back up. Dream was a prince. He had a destiny to fulfill. Whatever was blossoming between them was not meant to be.</p><p>He felt a familiar pulse through his magic circuits. It was like a gentle breeze across his skin.</p><p>That couldn’t be right. Dream was out cold when Aleister left him at the tower. He shouldn’t have recovered yet. It was almost scary, the sheer mass of raw power in his spirit.</p><p>“Dream,” Aleister couldn’t keep the surprise out of his voice, then he smiled lightly. “Feeling better, are you?”</p><p>“Yeah, I,” Dream looked to the side.</p><p>His eyes were on Ricochet. He was surveying him with what could only be described as absolute disgust. Aleister tried to salvage the situation before it went the route he saw it going.</p><p>“This is--”</p><p>“I don’t care,” Dream’s eyes locked onto Aleister.</p><p>Aleister cringed. <em>Why</em>.</p><p>“I need to talk to,” he blanked. “Ember Moon. Have you seen her?”</p><p>His eyebrows twitched together. There was no way he barged in to their conversation for that, but it wasn’t worth the argument.</p><p>“You just missed her. Try Lathander’s temple.”</p><p>Aggravation tainted Dream’s already twisted up features. Aleister truly hated how attractive he still was when he scowled.</p><p>“So you talked to her about the…”</p><p>The way he kept glancing back to Ricochet wasn’t good.</p><p>“Yes,” Aleister replied quickly.</p><p>“Good. I’ll be off then. Enjoy your…selves.”</p><p>Then he whirled about and sauntered off. Aleister steepled his fingers under his chin, keeping his eyes on Ricochet.</p><p>“That’s the guy?”</p><p>“Mmhmm.”</p><p>Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Dream glaring back at Ricochet, who turned and smiled at him. He obviously heard the exchange. Thankfully, he left, no further ruckus caused.</p><p>Aleister covered his face with his hands.</p><p>“Gods, what’s wrong with you?” Ricochet laughed, hand slapping the table for effect. “Are you for real? That’s him?”</p><p>Aleister shook his head helplessly, his face getting hot.</p><p><em>“Man,”</em> he finally seemed to be done laughing. “I’m sorry. Just, the timing. Everything. That was a lot.”</p><p>“He’s not usually like that,” Aleister’s voice came out muffled. “Well, no, he is.” He let out an annoyed groan, “He lashes out when he’s feeling vulnerable. Our last ritual put a huge amount of stress on him. I apologize on his behalf.”</p><p>“Hey, no judgement,” Ricochet soothed in an entirely unconvincing manner. “It’s a little, uh, unexpected. Didn’t know someone like that is your type.”</p><p>“Like that…?”</p><p>Ricochet listed off, “Abrasive. Cocky. Colorful. And this isn’t just from that first impression.”</p><p>Aleister uncovered his face in time to see Ricochet tap the corner of his eye. Ricochet wasn’t a seer like Ember or a diviner like Aleister, but he had an otherworldly perceptiveness. He had often made self-deprecating jokes on how Aleister’s infernal blood made him predisposed to magical proficiency, while his own celestial roots made him pretty okay at reading moods. When he put it like that, it seemed useless, but Aleister always appreciated his down-to-earth insights.</p><p>“Seems like a handful,” he was saying. “You’re sure that’s what you want?”</p><p>“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Aleister dismissed. “He’s,” he stopped.</p><p>Dream’s identity almost slipped out. Even telling Ricochet would be a breach of the prince’s trust. Though Ricochet himself had no ill will, his knowledge could be used to harm either man.</p><p>“His country does not take kindly to non-humans,” he clarified. “Once his training is finished, he will return home. There is no future between us.”</p><p>“Yeah, you’re not okay with that,” Ricochet confirmed, eyes glowing pointedly. “Your energy just dropped way down.”</p><p>Refolding his hands at his chin, Aleister went silent. He wanted a future with Dream. If he admitted that out loud, it would become too real. He wouldn’t be able to stop wanting it. No amount of self-isolation in the woods would slake that need.</p><p>“My irrationality does not matter,” he insisted firmly. “I have made a promise to guide this man to success. I cannot allow myself to hinder that.”</p><p>“...Do you ever listen to yourself? Like really listen?” That hint of a smile was fading on Ricochet’s face. “You know what? Maybe it’s not my business. I just think you should give being happy a chance. You might like it.”</p><p>“I am…happy.”</p><p>Between aasimar eyes and diviner expertise, no one in the conversation would be fooled by that.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Brighter Than the Sun</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Takes place during chapter three!<br/>I'm just kind of slinging these in the order I wrote them in, sorry for being this way.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mist faded around Aleister as he materialized in Dream’s soul chamber. As with any soul scrying spell, he had no expectations going into it. He didn’t know much about the prince, and what little he knew could easily be a lie. The man was cagey, though he would be hiding it well were he not speaking to a diviner. He was guarding a secret. Aleister didn’t need to know what it was. He only needed to know if it posed a danger to him.</p><p>The room was a huge temple made of ivory, its walls adorned with torn-up blue and gold drapery. The portraits on the wall of whatever god the temple was in service to were scratched beyond recognition. The altar was overturned and in pieces. If there were any doubts in Aleister’s mind of Dream’s religious inner turmoil, they were no more.</p><p>“Alright. Show yourself,” Aleister leisurely strolled towards the alter.</p><p>It was not in the nature of the mortal soul to be pried into. It never took long to find it, but Aleister always found himself looking.</p><p>His eyes were drawn first to the portrait above the busted altar. What little remained of the image seemed to be a holy woman. The claw marks in the painting were undeniably human. They were frenzied and ferocious, but from dull human nails nonetheless. The exposed surface beneath it wasn’t the ivory of the walls, nor was it the board of a frame. At second glance, it wasn’t a surface at all, it wasn’t solid. It was dark matter, a swirling black void. When Aleister held his hand near, the darkness gravitated towards him. He hastily pulled away before it could touch him, and it settled back beneath the portrait. It was curious, but not what he was looking for. He stepped backward.</p><p>A crunch of wood underfoot stopped him from putting further thought into it. Looking down, he was standing on the stray debris of the sacred table. He had to get back on track.</p><p>Upon closer inspection, the altar was broken in two, the wood badly splintered and scattered. Aleister gently pushed at one half with his foot. The wood decayed with the lightest touch. Beneath it a star-like symbol was sketched into the stone floor. It was faint, a light grey chalk on a black background. There was another sigil carved into the ground underneath it. Squatting, Aleister brushed the chalk away, suspicions confirmed as the sign of Dream’s pact glowed with faint purple light beneath it.</p><p>It pulsed in even rhythm, like a heartbeat, its color clear and consistent. A perfectly healthy spirit, magic circuits intact and flowing properly. Aleister’s fingers absently dipped into the ridges. The thrumming energy was cool and soft, gentle on Aleister’s skin. Then it reacted.</p><p>The light erupted from the symbol. Aleister covered his eyes, falling back with a surprised yell. It hurt to look at, even through the cracks of his fingers. There was nothing in the soul chamber containing it. It’s most intense point was centered around the pact mark, but it bled all over the room. Raw. Volatile. Vibrant.</p><p>Aleister was no stranger to a burning soul. He always burned hot, but Dream, he burned bright.</p><p>“Damn it,” he breathed.</p><p>No single ordinary person should hold so much power. Even if Dream wasn’t ordinary, he was dangerous nonetheless. Aleister’s gut told him what he needed to do. The prince was still vulnerable, sedated by the cocktail of spells. Aleister could take him out quickly. He wouldn’t see it coming. He wouldn’t die in fear. It was a mercy killing, for the greater good.</p><p>Aleister’s free hand clenched into a fist. The longer he lingered in the chamber, the harder it would be to keep his resolve.</p><p>It was such a waste. The man had so much time ahead of him, and so much potential. That sheer desire to surpass the gods spoke to Aleister.</p><p>“Damn it!” He snapped again, turning away from the light.</p><p>He dropped to the floor, cross-legged, fingertips pressed together. The back of his head was throbbing from trying to hold up so many spells at once, the luminous nature of Dream’s soul doing him no favors. He had one shot, one more spell he could cast before the strain threatened his consciousness. Eyes closed, he took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly.</p><p>“Are you doing this for the right reasons?”</p><p>Magic burned at his lips. He was going to force the truth to the surface.</p><p>He opened his eyes. The prince paced the confines of the chamber, taking everything in. The blinding light had no effect on him. The grey of Aleister’s aura clung to him like a regal cloak draped about his shoulders, loosely circling his head like a crown. He breathed it in like smoke. He brushed his fingers over the torn drapery, content to take his and Aleister’s time. There was nothing Aleister could do about it, he was already struggling to maintain control as it was. Moving wasn’t an option.</p><p>Dream cast a haughty glance over his shoulder, finally acknowledging him. He swaggered nearer, gracefully falling to his knees before the mage. He leaned in threateningly close, a smile spreading on his handsome face.</p><p>Then he nodded. That was all.</p><p>Aleister stared at Dream, unblinking. Blood pooled at his nose, dripping down his face, but he wasn’t ready to let go yet. He didn’t have any magic left, but he had time. The prince fulfilled the bare bones requirements in answering his question, but he still might talk.</p><p>Chest heaving, Aleister dropped his hands to his lap. His nosebleed was starting to leak down his throat. Dream’s gazed flickered to the run of blood down Aleister’s face, but he didn’t crack.</p><p>Testing the waters, Aleister parted his lips to speak. Pain shot through his jaw at the effort, and he shut his mouth.</p><p><em>Say something. Say something. </em>He implored in his head.</p><p>Perhaps overcome by Aleister’s telepathic will, Dream spoke, “I deserve a future.”</p><p>Aleister’s right eye twitched. Physiological tears started welling up. Dream leisurely touched beneath his eyes, pulling it away with inky stains on it. Not tears.</p><p>“I <em>am </em>the future.” He tilted his head, “Is the future good? Is it evil?” He shook his head, eyes still focused down on Aleister’s mouth. “No. It’s change.” Then he pointedly made eye contact. “Welcome to the dawn, Aleister Black.”</p><p>Unable to hold his concentration any longer, Aleister spat the blood from his mouth. He raggedly gasped for air as the room around him disintegrated.</p><p>Disoriented beyond belief, he awoke in a dark, smoky room. Dream was laying on the spell circle underneath him, a look of terror on his face. Aleister smoothly sat upright and got up. There was no sign of his blood anywhere, only a dull ache in the back of his head as a reminder of his time in the void.</p><p>Though he had little problem seeing in the dark, he folded the blinds back out of courtesy for the human. The light hurt his eyes, reminiscent of the pain from seeing Dream’s spirit, but he tried not to show it with anything more than a slight squint.</p><p>Dream’s answer was evasive to say the least. That being said, Aleister had purposefully not asked too specific of a question. By nature he sought the truth, but there were some lines he was hesitant to cross. Not all darkness was evil. A lie was not inherently a sin. Whatever the prince was hiding was his own burden to bear.</p><p>He glanced at Dream, who hesitantly sat up, inching back in fear. The prince acted cocky, but he didn’t understand what kind of power he possessed yet.</p><p>His cryptic response was one of righteous intent. That was all Aleister could ask for.</p><p>He sat across from Dream on the spell circle. He waited for him to relax, but the fright wasn’t leaving his eyes. Aleister was too drained to soothe his emotions. He would have to do it the old fashioned way--and gods knew he was no good at that.</p><p>“Peace, princeling,” he tried. “I sense no sickness or evil within you.”</p><p>Dream gradually collected himself, sitting up. He was still on guard and regarding Aleister with unease.</p><p>“What I do not know,” he continued, “is your mettle as a student. You may have will, but do you have discipline? Humility?”</p><p>They weren’t traits nobles were known for. Aleister couldn’t imagine the new levels of spoiled that youngest children in noble families were gifted. The prince claimed lofty goals, but did he have the fortitude to put in the work to reach them?</p><p>However spooked Dream had been, it was replaced with indignation. That was fire. Aleister liked that.</p><p>“Test me,” Dream’s suggestion sounded more like an order. “Take however long you need, set up whatever perimeters you want.” Then he smirked, “You can do whatever you want with me, Mr. Black.” He winked, “If you change your mind about not needing payment.”</p><p>Aleister remained stone-faced. Temptation wasn’t a good strategy against him. The prince would learn that in time.</p><p>Unaffected by Aleister’s lack of response, Dream went on, “Whatever it is you think the Dream can’t do…” Cockiness in full effect, he finished, “One shot, Aleister Black. That’s all it’ll take.”</p><p>Aleister wasn’t impressed by big words without actions to back them up, but Dream’s radiant, blazing soul fascinated him against his better judgment. He could make an exception. A single chance couldn’t hurt. He had to see how long that fire could burn.</p>
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<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Stripped Down</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>continuation of chapter twenty-six!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Resting his head against the pillows, Aleister closed his eyes, soaking in the feeling of afterglow as Dream’s lips caressed his neck. Dream snaked his arm around his back, stroking up his tailbone. A small purr slipped out as Dream’s other hand traced along his inner thigh. The soft, good-natured chuckle against his ear made the hair on the back of his neck stand up.</p><p>For all that Dream was worried about Aleister’s ostensible passivity, the man was obsessed with spoiling him. He obviously liked that feeling of control, knowing every little gesture and word that could wind Aleister up. In the same way, Aleister was starting to learn Dream’s tells and kinks. It was subtle, but there was a way Dream’s breath caught whenever Aleister praised or begged for him. He trembled when Aleister spoke his name into his ear. His lashes fluttered when Aleister’s nails grazed his neck and chest.</p><p>Dream’s hand left his thigh momentarily. A little nudge on his lower back encouraged him to lift his hips. Aleister swallowed a groan as two lube-slicked fingers penetrated him. Dream didn’t waste any time teasing, fingertips almost immediately finding his prostate. Each light press sent a shock through his lower body. The muscles of his legs were tensing up, fighting back his body’s desire to let go.</p><p>A whimper immediately followed when Dream withdrew his hand. Aleister reluctantly opened his eyes, nuzzling Dream’s jaw in a silent plea for more.</p><p>Reading the gesture with ease, Dream spoke softly into his ear, “And what will you give me in return, Aleister?”</p><p>“Anything you want,” he breathed without hesitation.</p><p>With one last love bite on Aleister’s ear, Dream maneuvered him back up to his hands and knees.</p><p>“So which is it, do you like being on top or being serviced?”</p><p>Dream settled on his back with a self-satisfied grin, “I like to keep people guessing.”</p><p>Aleister didn’t doubt that but had his suspicions that what Dream really liked was ordering him around. Meanwhile, he was learning that he enjoyed being on the receiving end. It wasn’t about being controlled, for him. The provocation was what did it. Dream was pushing him, spurring him on to join him in shameless indulgence. Aleister was never the type to bend to any pressure outside of the bedroom, but when Dream looked at him with intent in his eyes, giving in to temptation was all he wanted to do. Pride be damned, he wanted to lose himself tangled up with Dream’s body.</p><p>He recovered fairly quickly from his last orgasm, but his cock was still sensitive as Dream mouthed at it. Now the prince was drawing things out. He held Aleister’s hips still, not allowing him to move from his straddling position over his face. He wanted Aleister to fuck his mouth again, but he was going to make him wait for it. That was fine with Aleister.</p><p>Dream’s hand was cold and smooth against his skin when he caressed the small of his back with long, steady strokes. Aleister arched against him with a pleasured exhalation. His breath against Dream’s stomach made the prince twitch, almost undetectable. Kissing the quivering muscles, he slid his hands down to Dream’s hips, dipping beneath the disheveled fabric of his pants.</p><p>He stopped short, lingering at Dream’s pelvis. He traced around his hipbones, sending a clear message. He wasn’t going to budge until Dream did first.</p><p>Dream tipped his head back, grabbing Aleister’s hips and pulling them back. A shuddering moan escaped Aleister as Dream’s mouth slid over him. He experimentally shifted his hips, pushing further each time, until he felt the tightness of Dream’s throat around him.</p><p>He knew Dream wasn’t expecting anything in return--yet. He was more than content to get Aleister off, and then take whatever it was he wanted from the man once he was finished. Still, Aleister trailed his hand lower, down the prince’s shaft. He bit his lip, face flushing as it hardened under his touch. Even with the heat of Dream’s mouth engulfing him, his mind was on his lover’s cock. An unintentional whine slipped out.</p><p>Dream was incredible in whatever he tried in bed, there was no denying that. From his mouth to his fingers, he knew exactly how to drown Aleister. But the feeling of him throbbing inside Aleister was incomparable; heady and addictive.</p><p>He cried out as Dream’s fingers unexpectedly pushed into him. His hands faltered, eyes closed. Any focus he had was shattered, lost as he moaned against Dream’s stomach, hips rocking involuntarily.</p><p>That’s what Dream was aiming for. He didn’t want Aleister focused and controlled. He wanted him unraveled, guided by hidden hedonistic impulse. Restraint and calculation had no place in who the prince took to bed.</p><p>Through the fog of ecstasy, Aleister faintly felt a light tapping at his thigh. He forced himself to pull out, listening to Dream raggedly catch his breath. A baffled look crossed Dream’s face as Aleister shifted to kneel at his side instead of thrusting back in. Whatever he was going to ask was cut off as Aleister kissed him roughly.</p><p>“It’s not enough,” Aleister panted against the other man’s mouth. “It’s--”</p><p>It was Dream’s turn to cut him off with a kiss, and then shove him aside, twisting his body onto its hands and knees again. Kissing and biting up and down Aleister’s neck, he started to teasingly grind against the prone man’s thighs.</p><p>“You want more, Aleister?” He murmured between kisses. “You want this?”</p><p>“Please,” he gasped.</p><p>Dream’s near-sinister snicker sent chills all through Aleister’s already trembling body.</p><p>“As much as I appreciate you asking nicely,” he held Aleister’s chin firmly. “I’d like it if you asked me dirty.”</p><p>Aleister wasn’t much for talking normally, now Dream wanted him to talk dirty? Not happening.</p><p>“Come on, Dream,” Aleister protested, at the end of his rope.</p><p>“What if<em> I</em> ask <em>you </em>nicely?” He teased. “Please, Aleister, tell me exactly what it is you want.”</p><p>Aleister looked up at him with pleading eyes. Even in a lusty haze, he could clearly see Dream swallow, hard.</p><p>Dream possessed an intoxicating charisma capable of seducing anyone he laid eyes on, but he was weak for Aleister. All the smooth-talking in the world couldn’t stack up against sweet sincerity.</p><p>“You,” he whispered. “I want you.” He closed his eyes, touching his forehead to Dream’s cheek. “All of you.”</p><p>“That’s not fair,” Dream grumbled under his breath, averting his gaze.</p><p>Aleister smiled, lightly kissing his cheek, before adding softly, “Fuck me, Velveteen Dream.”</p><p>His fingers curled in the bedding, mouth falling open in a sharp gasp as Dream thrust into him. His breath hitched in his chest, body struggling to adapt to the sudden impact. Dream combed through his hair, waiting. After a few strokes, he let his hand travel the rest of the way, down his spine, landing at the base of his tail. Lips brushing between his shoulder blades, he kneaded the sensitive spot.</p><p>Aleister leaned into the bedroll with a satisfied groan, letting his upper body sink down. The slow roll of his lover’s hips and every caress of his fingers sent shivers throughout him. Whimpering sparingly, he arched up, rocking back into each thrust.</p><p>Dream nestled against his nape, the sweat from his brow soaking into his hair. It wasn’t cold enough to steam, but it tingled against his neck. The slight chill of Dream’s skin was disappearing, melting into the heat of Aleister’s body.</p><p>The hands that were playing with his back moved to wrap around his waist and chest. They pulled him up into a sitting position, then spread his legs until he felt a light strain in his thighs. The cold night air stung in a way that made his breath catch.</p><p>His head fell back to the side, careful not to hook Dream with his horns as he laid across his shoulder with a hoarse moan. His lover’s cock drove deeper into him, until it was buried into the natural bend of his body. Dream’s fingers bore into his thighs, husky noises spilling from the back of his throat at the unexpected squeeze of Aleister’s inner walls.</p><p>Splayed out and pressed onto Dream’s chest, Aleister was effectively immobilized. All he could do was run his fingers over Dream’s ample arms or wind them around his neck as the prince fucked into the deepest parts of him, dragging him down into every thrust. His lashes fluttered, vision going spotty as their bodies collided. Feverish lust flooded his head. He let go, delirium overtaking him with every pulse of pleasure and broken scream. He distantly heard the desperate moan of his name as a tingling feeling of orgasm convulsed inside him.</p><p>He blacked out completely.</p><p>When he startled awake, it didn’t seem as though much time passed. His body was still wound tight, and he could feel and hear Dream struggling to catch his breath. He was on his back, encircled loosely by the prince’s arms. The dark of the night was closing in on them, the orbs of light in the trees gone without a trace. Only the natural glow of the moon sparsely illuminated their bodies through the willow branches.</p><p>Dream breathlessly laughed into Aleister’s neck, stroking comfortingly down his torso, resting his hand at his stomach, “Knew I’d get that scream.”</p><p>He obviously had more affectionate taunting he wanted to get in, but he was winded like Aleister had never seen him. Aleister’s shoulders shook with silent laughter, weakly turning to snuggle into the curve of his neck as the tautness in his muscles dwindled.</p><p>For the longest time, Aleister had a nagging guilt in the back of his head whenever he slept with someone. He knew it was unrelated trauma and lingering dysphoria, but no matter how many times he told himself that, the logic failed to exorcise the emotion from his head. He never struggled with feeling afterglow, he always had that physiological response. After that, though, his mood dropped like a rock. All he felt in Dream’s arms was giddiness, and it didn’t fade. He was at peace. As troubled as he was about the new status of his soul, it felt <em>right</em>. He felt complete.</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Arms of Hadar</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I've tried to incorporate actual 5e spells into this AU but this chapter is just. Fuck it. Tentacle porn. Joke chapter title.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>“Your body was made to be worshiped. Loved long and hard, until your head can’t take it anymore,” Aleister tilted his head to the side as he traced Dream’s jawline. “Every time you touch me, you wrench away all my self-control. Don’t you want to feel that?”</em>
</p><p>Dream shifted nervously on the bed. Aleister could be very persuasive when he wanted to. Were his words coming from another person, Dream would have accused him of being manipulative. But this was Aleister. For all his talk of darkness and devils, his heart was pure. He meant everything he was telling Dream. His little plan was fully intended for Dream’s benefit. With that in mind, Dream still tensed up skittishly as dark grey tentacles crawled up his legs like vines.</p><p>“We can stop whenever you want, just say the word,” Aleister’s breath was hot against Dream’s ear as his fingertips skimmed up and down his neck.</p><p>The way the tendrils skittered up his torso, heat radiating off them, was the same way Aleister touched him. They focused on where he was sensitive while still avoiding any sweet spots, crawling up his ribs without touching his chest, holding his legs apart at the knee while refraining from his inner thighs. It mirrored how Aleister was barely brushing his neck. He was in full control of the spell, stringing Dream along until he melted. They weren’t mindless plants, they were an extension of him. Knowing that alone was enough reason to relax.</p><p>Aleister was maddeningly close, but touching him scarcely. With his arms bound over his head, there wasn’t anything Dream could do about it. One last brush of his lips on the base of Dream’s neck and Aleister was done. He sat back across from him, legs crossed. Eyes roaming shamelessly, he let out a heated sigh.</p><p>“So beautiful.”</p><p>Dream was starting to squirm in a different way. The tentacles slithered up his torso, still avoiding his chest, lingering at his collarbone. Everywhere they touched left a warm, wet trail. It dripped down his skin like hot wax, making him shudder with a pained breath.</p><p>“Everything alright?”</p><p>His tongue darted out to touch the corner of his mouth, “I didn’t know you were into anything like this.”</p><p>“Is it too hot for you,” Aleister’s tone was nowhere near as innocent as his words suggested, “princeling?”</p><p>“It’s perfect,” he flashed a crooked smile.</p><p>Aside from his eyes, Aleister didn’t move, but one of the tentacles followed his gaze. The tip stroked up in between Dream’s pecs, all the way up his throat and stopping at his chin. He let it tilt his face up, eyes still trained on his lover. It traced over his bottom lip, and he flickered his tongue out, flirting with the tip. As he did, he saw Aleister swallow, hard.</p><p>“Can you feel that, Aleister?” He murmured, kissing it. “Tell me, am I kissing your hand or--”</p><p>One of them prodded him roughly in the stomach, cutting him off with a squeak. It was a reminder. Aleister was the one in control this time. Dream’s first instinct was to to keep pushing, but whatever teasing he wanted to unleash died in his throat. The tendrils made their way to his chest, prodding at his nipples. The heat of the oil sinking into his skin made him writhe helplessly against his bindings, whimpering. He saw Aleister’s hands tighten from where they rested on his legs.</p><p>Knees pressed into the bed, his legs quivered as a smaller tentacle slipped inside him. It, or rather, Aleister, wasn’t in much of a hurry, rimming him with languid strokes. As he twitched around it, he saw Aleister’s hand go to his mouth. He was biting his nails, face flushed and breathing labored. He wasn’t only getting turned on from watching him, he was feeling something through the tentacles.</p><p>Turning, Dream nuzzled the tentacle wrapped around his bicep. It tensed and quivered, corresponding with a quiet huff from Aleister. Lashes lowered, Dream smiled. He couldn’t help himself. With no more warning but a soft tutting noise, another tentacle wrapped around the base of his dick, squeezing.</p><p>“Ow--”</p><p>“I don’t mean to be withholding, but,” Aleister lowered his hand, fingertips brushing over his lips, “you are being rather disobedient.”</p><p>Ceasing in their pleasant squirming, the rest of the tentacles gripped him tighter, but only for a fleeting moment. He winced, nonetheless, as Aleister crawled toward him.</p><p>“You like being praised,” Aleister continued in a tone far more calculated than his flushed countenance suggested. “You want me to reward you,” he leaned to speak directly into his ear, “don’t you?”</p><p>Dream opened his mouth to quip back at him, but all the came out was a shaky moan as the tendril inside him flexed sporadically. Aleister’s lips skirted over his earlobe, his palm pressing against Dream’s side. He caressed him lovingly, the only other stimulation he allowed as the bindings around him remained frozen in place.</p><p>“So lay back and let me.”</p><p>Aleister’s fingertips dipped into the viscous liquid, tracing patterns onto Dream’s ribs. His skin and lips were uncharacteristically cool, contrasted against the heated substance. Dream closed his eyes, biting his lip and leaning into the gentle press of Aleister’s mouth. The tentacle inside him curled, pressing against his prostate, and he tasted blood, trying to stifle the yelp from bursting out of him. It was plying slowly and methodically, enough to make him react but not get him off. Even if it was, there was that preventative vice grip around his cock.</p><p>Electric shocks ran through his pelvis. His legs stiffened and braced harder against the bed. Orgasm bubbled closer to the surface but ebbed out without satisfaction. The magical limbs eased into their sultry massaging pattern again.</p><p>The tingle of Aleister’s aura retreated and Dream reluctantly opened his eyes. Aleister was slumped against the bedroom wall, chest heaving. He drew one hand over his stomach, hand nearing his extremely apparent arousal. He stared at Dream with heavy-lidded and lust laden eyes, intermittently stroking himself.</p><p>“Aleister,” Dream drew his name out in a long whine. “Please.”</p><p>As soon as the words left his lips, he felt a much thicker tentacle pressing against his backside. The one massaging his prostate slipped out, and the other rubbed against him, tantalizing. He let out a long, quivering moan as the broad, slick tendril squeezed into his body. The inhuman pulsing stretched him out as it plunged deeper. The vines around the joints of his arms and legs immobilized him as it began a brutally slow rhythm. The electricity swelled inside him, its waves never quite reaching their peak. Desperate, wanting noises scratched from deep in his throat. His hips pressed back involuntarily, as if increasing friction was the solution.</p><p>The tentacles maneuvered him onto his back, relieving his cramped up legs. The haze that was threatening the corners of his eyes and his new position took Aleister out of his line of sight, but the telltale slap of flesh and hitched breathing was all Dream needed to know. He was at the end of his rope, too.</p><p>“Aleister,” he panted through the broken up moans and the squish of the tentacles. “Aleister, please, I can’t.” Trying to piece his thoughts together was an excessive struggle. “I need--”</p><p>Aleister pounced, cutting him off with a sloppy kiss. Messy and uncoordinated as he was, the touch of his lips still sent shivers down Dream’s spine. He ran his hand up and down Dream’s inner thigh, spreading his legs open wider as his body was rocked rhythmically into the mattress. The tenor of the groans he was letting out into each kiss changed as the tentacled cautiously pressed deeper into him.</p><p>The heat of Aleister’s body around him was almost painful by virtue of overstimulation. The first few experimental sways of Aleister’s hips were agonizing until finally the tendril wrapped around his cock let go. Between Aleister riding him and the tentacle viciously ramming into his body, he knew he wouldn’t last much longer. The rhythm of his name, moaned from his lover’s lips, and the feeling of fingernails pricking into his torso signaled to Dream that Aleister, too, had given in. That dash of pain was exactly what he needed to take that final step.</p><p>A ragged cry of his lover’s name was torn from his mouth. His vision went spotty, then dark, as he came in hard, pulsing waves. An all-consuming bliss welled up inside of him, starting at his pelvis and spreading throughout the rest of his body. A sticky, wet warmth coated the enduring buzz of afterglow. With his eyes closed and his focus on trying to put air back in his lungs, he only faintly heard the snapping of fingers. The tentacles released him, retreating back to whatever void Aleister pulled them from. A soft breeze of magic, and he, Aleister, and the sheets were clean. The only remaining physical hints of orgasm were their coupled labored breathing and flushed countenances.</p><p>Dream opened his eyes. It felt like somewhere along the line he dozed off. Whether that was true or not, he was no longer spread eagle on the bed, and instead curled up with his head on Aleister’s (clothed) lap. He either fell asleep or Aleister invented an unnecessary and mundane clothing spell.</p><p>“Welcome back,” Aleister’s voice was low as his fingertips glided over Dream’s shoulders. “How do you feel?”</p><p>“<em>Damn</em>,” his voice was hoarse as he shifted in the sheets, his vehemence surprising a small chuckle out of Aleister. “Wow. Um.” He tried to choose his words carefully as he wrapped his arms around Aleister’s waist, “That was amazing. And bar none <em>the </em>most intense orgasm I’ve ever had.”</p><p>“Too much for you?” Aleister guessed dryly.</p><p>“Please just finger me next time, I thought I was going to go blind,” he pleaded, nuzzling his partner’s stomach as it quivered with an <em>actual </em>laugh. “<em>So </em>fucking good though.”</p><p>“Happy to hear you enjoyed our one-night performance. I must say, I thought a ten-hour blackout was excessive, but if that’s what your body needed…”</p><p>“A <em>what?” </em>Dream bolted, looking up at the other man.<em> “Ten hours?”</em></p><p>Aleister’s face was straight as ever, and Dream believed him for all of five seconds. It was too straight of an expression, like he was trying to be expressionless for once. The alarm faded from Dream’s countenance, replaced with a distinct lack of amusement.</p><p>The barest smile twitched on Aleister’s lips and he admitted, “You’ve been out for a few minutes.”</p><p>Dream rolled over onto his back, draping himself over Aleister’s lap again, “You think you’re so funny.”</p><p>“I do have to keep myself amused while you’re in post-coital coma.”</p><p>“Shut up,” he grinned in spite of himself. “Brag about it, why don’t you.”</p><p>“It doesn’t hurt anywhere?” The pads of Aleister’s fingers traced Dream’s cheekbone as the tiniest hint of concern clouded his voice.</p><p>“I’m fine. I’m great, actually.”</p><p>He felt like he was floating. He tugged the hand hovering over his cheek lower, kissing its palm. Aleister was right. The sheer density of attention and affection made Dream dizzy, but more than anything he felt worshiped. In Aleister’s arms, under his adoring touch, he felt like a god.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I actually have a solid sequel planned for Original Sin that is now in the works, so the one-shot parade is going to be on hold for now but I'll (vague gestures) get back to it. Hopefully! Thanks for reading~</p>
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